5 Online Marketing Tips

Brands have multiple ways to market their services these days, and online methods are among the most effective. But with many different options available, it leaves many companies allocating (and wasting) their limited budgets toward campaigns that don’t produce a return.

1. Use retargeting to pull prospects back while they are comparison shopping.

If a consumer is looking for a local service provider, he or she is going to do research and contact several options before making a decision. You need to stay on their mind while they comparison shop, and retargeting is one of the most effective ways.

“When a potential customer leaves our website, they might go look at other options, but because we are retargeting, we show up in their Facebook feed and follow them around the internet as they browse. When they are ready to make a decision, there is a good chance we are still on their mind,” says Ksenych.

2. Content Marketing

This type of online marketing is all about how you use content to position yourself and your business. Adding content to your site can also be part of your SEO marketing strategy. Many of these strategies go hand-in-hand.

Different types of content accomplish different things as you move forward. Hitting on the types of content most likely to help you reach your goals and attract customers is important.

If you sell products, it makes sense to create video reviews and tutorials of what you offer. If you want to be a thought leader, you can also consider creating white papers to offer to others. Your blog content is also considered a form of online content marketing. It should be designed to be useful and informative.

No matter what type of content you create, it’s important to make sure that it serves a purpose and adds value for your customers and potential customers.

3. Social Media Marketing

Very few of us are actually excited at the prospect of social media marketing. However, this aspect of online marketing can’t be ignored.

A large percentage of your potential customers are likely to use social media. They might be interested in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, or any other type of social media. You need to meet them there.

You don’t have to be everywhere, though. Consider your customers. Where are they most likely to spend their time? If your audience is more likely to be on Pinterest and Facebook, and rarely goes anywhere else, you don’t need to spend a lot of time on Twitter.

You also need to recognize that you might need to spend money on your social media strategy. Online marketing isn’t free. Some of the most successful social media campaigns are the result of paid marketing. While it’s nice to think that you can get a lot of organic clicks and go viral without paying anything, the reality is that those types of successes are rare.

4. Email Marketing

Believe it or not, email marketing is not dead. It’s still an important part of an online marketing strategy. Building your email list allows you to directly reach people who want more communication with you.

Your email marketing plan should be designed to encourage people to return to your website and keep you top of mind.

Additionally, the right campaign can also help you target customers who want access to special deals and promotions. You can offer special sales and coupons, and give discounts to those on your list.

In order to be successful, though, you need to offer value. Your emails should be relevant and provide something that your customers and potential customers want. Information contained should be of value, and provide them with something they can use, whether it’s a special deal or inside insight into an issue or product.

Carefully think about your email marketing as you prepare your online marketing campaign. Make sure it coordinates well with the other areas of your marketing strategy.

5. Blending the Digital with the Physical

Digital may be the way of the present and future, but that doesn’t mean it will ever completely take over—people still love shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, which is why so many businesses still have physical locations.

However, modern consumers are demanding more than ever from in-store shopping, and that includes wanting digital elements seamlessly incorporated into the brick-and-mortar shopping experience. As such, many businesses have started adopting technologies that allow them to digitally interact with consumers who are physically present in their vicinity, and one common way of doing this is with beacons.

When a business uses a beacon, the beacon can send signals to mobile devices within a predetermined geofenced area, such as by sending push notifications or special time-sensitive coupons to nearby potential consumers.

However, beacons can be used for more than just that, and here are a few novel ways that small and large businesses and organizations have used beacon technology to drive results:

Trade shows installing beacons in the lanyards worn by attendees so exhibitors can communicate more easily

Retailers using them to enable consumers to check stock and scan products in-store

Hotels using them in place of room keys

Sports associations connecting with in-stadium fans via beacons

Airlines using beacons to update travelers about flight times, delays, and other important information